August #2: Stealer of Hearts, Spoiler of Women - Pg13 - Willow, Vala

Title: Stealer of Hearts, Spoiler of Women
Author: Jinni (jinni.tth@gmail.com)
Rated: Pg13
Disclaimer: All things BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, et al. All things SG1 belong to MGM, Gekko, et al.
FFA: Willow, Vala
Spoilers: Takes place during s9e1 of SG1.
Summary: Sometimes, even the best explanation doesn’t make things ‘right’.


x x x

“So you’re the woman that stole my Daniel’s heart.”

Willow sighed. She didn’t know that voice, but she could guess who was standing behind her. Various personnel from the base had given her the heads up the moment that Vala had stepped through the ‘gate. She had a thing for Daniel, apparently. A thing that Daniel didn’t reciprocate in the least, Willow knew.

To be honest, she also couldn’t care less.

She turned and blinked in surprise. Not what she’d really expected. Okay, not that she had expected anything at all. Vala was pretty – but in the dangerous, I’ll kick your ass kind of way. She sort of looked like - “Do all women where you’re from go for the dominatrix look or is that just your personal thing?”

Vala tilted her head to the side and her brow creased. Right, Willow thought to herself, not from Earth, might not know that reference.

“Nevermind,” she waved off the inevitable question. “To answer your…sort-of question or accusation or whatever… I didn’t steal Daniel’s anything.”

“That’s not what I heard,” Vala argued with a lift of her brows. “One of the nice airmen was kind enough to fill me in my Daniel’s life since I’ve been away. He said that my Daniel fawns over you.”

“Not my fault!” Willow protested, feeling a need to defend her non-actions. Wait, that didn’t make sense. Why was she having to explain herself to this woman anyway? It wasn’t as if Daniel had any interest in Vala. He’d made that clear enough once, when Sam was teasing him about the pretty off-worlder. “Look,” she sighed. “I’m not interested in Daniel. I know that he has a little…crush – but its completely one way.”

“So you’re spurning his affections, then?” Unbelievably, Vala looked upset by this, too. “Why are you hurting my Daniel?”

One. Two. Three. Willow counted slowly to ten, trying to stay calm.

Finally she was able to begin again with some measure of control to her voice. “So let me get this straight – if I’ve ‘stolen his heart’ you get upset… if I don’t respond to his advances you get upset? For goddess’ sake! I’m gay, you know. Did the airman not bother to mention that when he was being Mr. Gossip-Britches?”

“Gay? Why do I care if you’re happy?” Vala demanded. “My Daniel is pining away for you and for me, like he should be!”

Willow snorted. Another Earth thing, she supposed. A phrase that didn’t translate to other cultures. “I like women. As in…like like.”

Vala blinked. Willow sighed.

“I like women in the romantic sense,” she continued, praying that Vala would get it before she had to go into detail. “Dating, kissing…”

“Oh. Oh!” Vala’s eyes went wide. “Then, you have no interest in my Daniel?”

“He’s just a friend,” Willow said, breathing an internal sigh of relief. Then she laughed. “I’d rather date you than Daniel.”

“Really?” Vala brightened considerably. It was the sly look that slid through her eyes that made Willow immediately regret her joking comment, even before Vala said, “Men like that sort of thing. Alright – you and I will date and Daniel will enjoy seeing the two of us together.”

Willow groaned.

Maybe that hadn’t been the best way to explain things, after all.

END